Software
Houzz Logo Print
aonefun

grass seed progress

6 years ago


we have covered our backyard with scott's topsoil and then seeded it with grass seeds. this is the progress after about 3-4 weeks. there were some areas (as you can see near the retaining wall that was seeded ahead of time as a trial area. we are noticing what it appears to be weeds that are thriving at a much quicker pace than of the grass seeds. is this to be expected? do we suspect this is due to low moisture conditions? should we simply continue waiting and then deal with the weeds once the grass seeds finish sprouting (hopefully they will!)? if we realize our efforts fail, can we easily lay sod on top of grass or will we need to dig up the soil again? thanks so much!

Comments (8)

  • 6 years ago

    That looks like a lot of weeds and very little grass for 3-4 weeks of progress. I think you need to get rid of the weeds now, then reseed the grass, top the seeds with a hay mulch, and water according to the seed recommendations. The hay mulch will help keep the seeds’ moisture consistent, and will help keep down the weeds while the grass gets started.

  • 6 years ago

    What's your locale? If a southern lawn, you're kind of late for seeding. If a northern lawn, very early. :-)


    What type of grass did you use, and how much sun does the area get?


    I do note you said for a low-moisture area. New seed really needs to be kept damp during germination and should be watered, if in a dry area, up to 3 times per day during that germination period. Depending on the seed types, that can range from 7 to 28 days.


    I wouldn't recommend hay mulch. If you want to see weeds, use hay mulch. Even the weed free stuff has been awful for me. Peat moss is great, though. Compost as well, although occasional weeds are an issue with it. And if you want to use the grass soil as a topdressing, that's also completely workable. It's a nice, moisture-retaining soil.

  • 6 years ago

    thanks all for your replies. we are located in southern new jersey. what is the suggested method of getting rid of the weeds? a contributor to a former post suggested that scott's topsoil is not soil but rather composted wood products. this is what we used prior to seeding - in case this information changes anything. lastly, if all continues to fail, can sod be placed on top of this mess?

  • 6 years ago

    I guess it would be better if you get rid of the weeds now.

  • 6 years ago

    With grass that young, manual removal is your only option. Any chemical you use will damage the grass along with the weeds.

    And it's fine to topdress with composted wood.


    You can place sod atop that but, again, you're going to have to keep sod damp until it roots. The failure here seems to be a lack of water and sod will also fail if not watered.

  • 6 years ago

    Wait until late August before you do anything.

  • 6 years ago

    what if we re-seed, do a lot of watering, and then when the grass grows in deal with all the weeds then?

  • 6 years ago

    The best procedure is to water the area and wait for weeds. Then Roundup the area to kill the weeds. Water again for maybe a week and get more weeds to germinate. Roundup again. By this time you've gotten rid of most weeds. Then you seed and proceed as normal with watering. You can't do any of this in the summer when it is 90 - 100 degrees. The new grass will likely die from the heat. Just kill the area off a couple of times and then in late August, just a few weeks away, when nighttime temps start to cool off a little, go ahead and seed the area.


    This all presumes you are trying to grow grass somewhere with some sun, and not right up against a house with northern exposure.